Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) | Species | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 (1/640th sec at f11. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)  (1/160th sec at f13. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)  (1/640th sec at f11. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)  (1/800th sec at f14. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)  (1/400th sec at f13. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings) DescriptionWingspan: 32 - 46mm; Length: 33 - 38mm The male Variable Damselfly has broken antehumeral stripes (sometimes they are missing entirely), a thick black wine goblet shape on S2, and S9 is more than half black. Females occur in two colour forms, dark and blue. It has a patchy distribution in Britain, being mainly found in Somerset, Sussex, Kent, the Norfolk Broads, the Fens, Anglesey and south Galloway. It is widely distributed in Ireland. This species needs well-vegetated grazing-marsh ditches, fens, ponds, lakes and canals. Eggs are laid into the stems and leaves of aquatic plants. They hatch after a month, and the nymphs probably take a year to mature. Most aspects of behaviour are similar to the Azure Damselfly. Adults are often found in lush vegetation away from the water's edge. This is a Red data list species in Britain. Sightings
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